Seeing the Tree from the Forest

/

I am sauntering the woods nearby, noticing Vermont Fall colors, while listening to a tape on Mindfulness. I am not looking for anything in particular, just staying in the moment, letting whatever comes into my consciousness be with me. I see lone yellow in the woods. I position to capture what I see. But, what is it I see, feel? Dewitt Jones, a great photographer with twenty years experience with National Geographic, and more importantly, as the creator of What’s Right with the World, says: What’s the story? Did you get the shot?

So often I don’t know what the hell I am shooting. I let nature reveal the story. This is cool but the more I can define what I am looking for the more I will be aware when I see it. My subconscious kicks in to get me to stop and capture something that I have been looking for, something that I like, or even better than I thought it could be. In Seeing the Tree from the Forest, it’s the birch tree in the forest that is the story. I have an ongoing project on birch trees. I am collecting birch tree images I like, and one day I will create a photo essay. It was’n the birch tree that caught my attention for the shot below, it was the yellow maple, but my subconscious knows about my birch project.

Frequently, I don’t think about the story (other than capturing nature’s beauty). It is not until I start processing the image do I come up with the story… and sometimes I get the shot. Better mindfulness will be helpful in so many ways - better experiences with photography is just one place to benefit from it’s practice.

How do I focus on the birch tree and not get distracted by the forest? Can I get a view of the tree from the forest? Can I be aware of what’s in the moment, right in front of me, now?

seeing the tree from the forest